Flowers of Italy's Gargano Peninsula

Flowers of Italy's Gargano Peninsula Naturetrek Tour Report 13 – 20 April 2015 Report compiled by Andrew Cleave Naturetrek Mingledown Barn Wolf's Lane Chawton Alton Hampshire GU34 3HJ England T: +44 (0)1962 733051 F: +44 (0)1962 736426 E: [email protected] W: www.naturetrek.co.uk Flowers of Italy's Gargano Peninsula Tour Report Tour Participants: Andrew Cleave (leader) and eight clients Summary Sunny weather almost all of the time enabled us to make maximum use of our stay in the Gargano National Park. This year many of the species we expected to find were rather late in flowering, but during the week we came across almost all of the specialities of the area, many of them in perfect condition. Orchids were the star species, but we found many other species such as Wild Peonies, Irises, Narcissi, Tulips and Anemones which help make this one of the most flower-rich regions of Europe. Colourful roadside displays of flowers in the lowlands gave way to natural rock-gardens of Mediterranean flowers in the hilly areas. Shady woodlands had their own specialised species, and we also had the opportunity to look at a very distinctive coastal flora at the start and finish of the week. The sunny weather encouraged many butterflies on to the wing and we found Swallowtails, Southern Festoons, Cleopatras, Mallow Skippers, and Green-underside Blues amongst more familiar species like Wall Brown and Small Heath. Birdwatching on the coast was rewarding with many wetland species occurring in the salt pan area, whilst in the hills we found Sardinian Warblers, Cirl Buntings, Serins and the occasional Hoopoe. Swifts were common in the towns, whilst on the coast Alpine Swifts were seen over the cliffs. There were orchids in the hotel grounds, and everywhere we stopped we managed to find plants and butterflies to interest us. We also seemed to have the area to ourselves much of the time, as many of the sites we visit seem to be unknown to other botanists. A chance encounter with the Italian authors of the updated book on the Orchids of Gargano enabled us to buy signed copies and pick up a few hints on good orchid-hunting locations. By the end of the week we had seen around 50 species of orchids, a good range of other Mediterranean flora, many butterflies and birds, and enjoyed stunning scenery. Day 1 Monday 13th April Our trip began in sunny conditions at Bari Airport, where we arrived on the BA flight from Gatwick around midday. Once we had collected our luggage and the mini-bus keys we set off north on the auto-route, stopping briefly for fuel and some lunch. Eventually we left the auto-route to head for the coast and we found ourselves on a bumpy road undergoing some re-surfacing. Driving slowly through the road works gave us views of Lesser Kestrel, Marsh Harrier, Corn Bunting and Crested Lark, and colourful verges lined with Giant Fennel (Ferula communis), Crown Daisy (Glebionis coronarium) and Common Mallow (Malva sylvestris). We stopped for a while at some coastal salt pans to stretch our legs and enjoy the sea air. There was a large flock of Greater Flamingoes feeding in a lagoon and amongst them were numerous Little Egrets and some very elegant Slender-billed Gulls. On the edge of the salt pans the coastal flora was very interesting with a few plants of Squirting Cucumber (Ecballium elaterium) and colourful patches of the bright yellow Lotus creticus. After enjoying this breath of sea air we continued our journey to Monte Sant’Angelo, which took us up the steep mountain road to our hill-top hotel. On stepping out of the mini-bus at the hotel door, our first orchid was spotted: an Early Spider Orchid (Ophrys sphegodes) growing in the manicured lawn below the hotel sign! We checked in and some of the group took the opportunity to explore the land behind the hotel where more orchids were found and Serins were spotted in the pine trees. © Naturetrek June 15 1 Flowers of Italy's Gargano Peninsula Tour Report Day 2 Tuesday 14th April Pulsano Monastery Road We took the short trip along the road to the Pulsano Monastery for our first day’s exploration of the rich habitats of Gargano. What looked like a rather bare stony hillside revealed about 15 species of orchids after a few minutes of careful searching, and many more colourful Mediterranean species of wild flowers. The photographers soon settled down to record what they found and after about an hour here the group had seen species such as the Gargano form of the Early Spider Orchid (Ophrys sphegodes ssp passionis), the beautiful Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera), the local form of the Late Spider Orchid (Ophrys fuciflora ssp apulica), Pink Butterfly Orchid, (Anacamptis papilionacea) Green-winged Orchid (Anacamptis morio), Man Orchid (Orchis anthropophora), and several hybrids. The air was scented with honey which came from the curious Spiny Spurge (Euphorbia spinosa), and the Cirl Buntings singing nearby were almost ignored by the orchid hunters! We moved further along the road to another stony hillside where additional orchid species included the Milky Orchid (Neotinea lactea) and some Lady Orchids (Orchis purpurea) in tight bud. Everyone marvelled at the natural rock gardens filled with colourful flowers and we enjoyed our first picnic of local produce after a very exciting morning. After lunch we drove a short way to the monastery at the end of the road and explored the craggy area overlooking the gorge and some of the caves once inhabited by the first hermits to settle here. We then followed the long track down into the gorge where a few more species, such as the Bumble-bee Orchid (Ophrys bombyliflora) and Apulian form of the Late Spider Orchid (Ophrys fuciflora ssp apulica) were found. Two Italian botanists came to speak to us and it turned out that they were Giovanni Quitadamo and Angelo Rossini, the authors of the latest book on the Orchids of Gargano. They had a stock of books in their car and soon did a roaring trade in signed copies. We enjoyed searching through the books for the species we had found during the day, although we did notice that there had been some name changes of a number of species. After this very full day, we returned to the hotel for a de-briefing and our evening meal. Day 3 Wednesday 15th April Bosco Quarto Our day’s botanising began in the valley below Monte Sant’Angelo, alongside the road to San Giovanni Rotondo. Some cultivated fields in the valley floor had extensive splashes of yellow in them; there were hundreds of Wild Tulips (Tulipa sylvestris) flowering in the young wheat crop, as well as several other interesting species such as Italian Gladiolus (Gladiolus italica) and a yellow Star of Bethlehem (Gagea sp). A Nightingale serenaded us from the nearby hillside and there were distant calls of Cuckoos from the far hillside. Moving on to the start of the road to the Foresta Umbra we explored an open area covered with small yellow irises (Iris lutescens) and Pink Butterfly Orchids. A few Burnt Orchids (Neotinea ustulata) were spotted here and just two Giant Orchids (Himantoglossum robertianum) were still in flower. Along a track to a small farmhouse there were single specimens of Spectacled (Ophrys argolica ssp biscutella) and Dark Orchids (Ophrys sphegodes ssp atrata (incubacea)), plus many more of the Gargano Spider Orchids. A little copse was a good site for the very local Viola heterophylla ssp graeca which was found to have several colour forms. 2 © Naturetrek Flowers of Italy's Gargano Peninsula Tour Report The next stop, after a very short drive, was by another small copse where there were many Peonies (Paeonia mascula) in tight bud, but after some scrambling through hedges and undergrowth, a few were found with perfect open flowers. We drove on through the forest on a road which became a bumpy track to a lovely picnic site in a large clearing surrounded by ancient pollarded Hornbeam trees. A quick exploration before lunch provided a few more species for the list including Coralroot Bittercress (Cardamine bulbifera), Bird-in-a-bush (Corydalis solida) and a few Roman Orchids (Dactylorhiza romana). We enjoyed our picnic in this beautiful clearing where the only sounds were bird song. After lunch we walked further into the forest to a stony hillside where there were good displays of Irises (Iris pseudopumila and lutescens), and many more Spectacled Orchids. Holly Blue butterflies were the most common species here. Round-leaved Birthwort (Aristolochia rotundifolia) with its curious flowers was spotted here amongst other more colourful species. We returned by the same route through the forest, finding more Roman Orchids on the way and then drove back along the forest track, stopping to admire the display of Narcissus poeticus on a wooded slope. After reaching Monte Sant’Angelo some of the group took the opportunity to explore the town before evening meal. Day 4 Thursday 16th April Monte Sacro We made an earlier start today, calling in at the supermarket on the way for picnic supplies. A travelling greengrocer had parked his van in a convenient stop so we were able to stock up on delicious fresh fruit and salad supplies as well. Our first stop was on a terraced hillside covered with Olive trees. The views were spectacular from here and the ground flora was very rich. A fine stand of Ploughshare Tongue Orchids (Serapias vomeracea) attracted the photographers and a Sardinian Warbler gave glimpses at times as it sang from the roadside scrub.

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